6th Annual Europe Cash Cycle Seminar (ICCOS)

Lisbon, Portugal from February 15-18, 2016

In just under a month Currency Research (CR) and Banco de Portugal (BdP) will host stakeholders from all areas of the cash cycle for the 2016 Europe Cash Cycle Seminar (ICCOS) at the Hotel Cascais Miragem, a short distance from historic Lisbon, Portugal. This event is an exceptional networking opportunity and delegates will learn more about the best practices, challenges, and latest innovations affecting cash handling and management today.

Despite continued growth in alternative forms of payments, cash remains by far the preferred choice for consumers in Europe and even more so in other regions; therefore cash management strategy remains an essential focus for financial institutions, retailers, cash management companies/CiTs, Post Offices and many others. How can you efficiently manage your supply chain and keep cash handling costs to a minimum? Have you embarked on cash recycling (recirculation) practices or are you planning to? What does the future of cash hold for the markets and should you invest in further technology in this area? These topics and much more will be covered in detail during this educational event.

Register now for theÂ Europe Cash Cycle Seminar

Educational Plenary Session Presentations

CR and BdP have organized a varied agenda for the upcoming Europe Cash Cycle Seminar. Throughout the seminar, distinguished speakers will discuss the most relevant case studies impacting the cash cycle now and into the future. Hear presentations ranging from Retail Cash Operations, Cash Demand Forecasting and Optimization, Forensic Analysis of Banknotes, and Cash Center Automation to Currency Recirculation, Centralized Cash Cycle Models, Banknote Design Engineering, ATMs, and much more.

The presentations, including a few as highlighted below, are anticipated to generate much debate and lively discussions among the attendees. Furthermore, CR is expecting nearly 100 participating organizations from 30 different countries to attend this premier regional event. The full agenda is available atÂ the ICCOS Europe website.

Maria da ConceiÃ§Ã£o, Head of Financial Operations at Grupo JerÃ³nimo Martins, explains how many companies, including one of the most important Portuguese food distribution groups in the retail industry, are adapting to answer the difficult equation of maximizing the client’s experience by broadening the payment options available and at the same time ensuring that the costs and complexity do not increase.

Maria Da GlÃ³ria Lopes, CEO of ESEGUR, will discuss how CIT companies are optimizing the cash cycle via logistics and ensuring adequate operational processes in transport and inside cash centers. She will explore ESEGURâ€™s systematic search for the best solutions in terms of equipment and software based on the best management practices. The presentation will also examine how successful CIT companies’ activities depend on effective customer monitoring and the ability to understand the clientâ€™s businesses and individual needs.

Why is Cash Still King? A Strategic Report on the Use of Cash by Criminal Groups as a Facilitator for Money Laundering will be delivered by Pedro Felicio, Project Manager (Senior Specialist) at Europol. This presentation will raise awarenessÂ in the banking and financial sectorsÂ on key issues related to the cash cycle so thatÂ simple changes can be supported by all partnersÂ to provideÂ significant operational benefitsÂ forÂ all those involved on the fight against Money Laundering. The findings of this report are reflected in a set of recommendations aimed at providing practical solutionsÂ which could assist in preventing the use of cash for criminal purposes.

Alongside the general session presentations, Leonor Machado of Caixa Geral de Depositos and European Payments Councilâ€™s Cash Working Group will moderate a Panel Discussion on Currency Recirculation, with panelists including industry experts from Cash Services UK, the European Vending Association (EVA), Montepio Bank (Portugal) and Grupo Santander (Spain). The panel will examine how the two major variables (customer transactions and volumes) can at times be the catalysts for justifying currency recirculation expenditures. Some regulatory authorities have encouraged the market with legislation in this field while others have simply allowed the market to define how best to get on with their business through special codes of conduct. But does one model suit all and what other variables are placing limitations on these frameworks? This panel discussion will attempt to respond to these and other issues by involving different stakeholders’ points of view. Please see the ICCOS Europe website for further details.

Sponsor Exhibit Area and Focused Breakout Meetings

The eventâ€™s generous Sponsors will provide a number of specialized Breakout Meetings to inform delegates about the newest technologies, processes, and ideas that are currently leading the way in the supplier world.

The Path to One-Touch-Handling of Cash: Smart Automation and Standardization

Giesecke & Devrient will use a case study on how partners in the cash cycle developed a win-win strategy for secure, efficient, and future-leading cash handling and how they rolled out a field-test. At the core of this was a standardized banknote tray – integrating this standardized banknote tray into advanced automation solutions is paving the way to one-touch-handling of cash.

De La Rue: Does One Solution Really Fit All?

De La Rue will examine how cash processers operate using different business models depending on the size of their operation, from industrial bulk to small and scalable. This breakout session will then explore these models individually and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each, and introduce attendees to De La Rueâ€™s cash processing solutions for any requirement.

The Road to a Sustainable Cash Cycle

Wincor Nixdorf will examine how the shortest cash cycle is the ultimate goal. Beyond saving costs, the optimization of the cash cycle contributes to sustainability goals. Proper Cash Cycle Management solutions automate and shorten the entire cash cycle in bank branches and retail stores. By using sophisticated optimization solutions cash service schedules can be planned exactly to demand, thereby reducing cash-in-transit services by up to 50%.

Breakout Sessions

To gain further industry insight, delegates can choose from similarly interesting Breakout Meetings led by Innovia, NCR, Optaglio, PlusOneMinusOne, Sautner and Partner, and Spinnaker.

Diverse Opportunities to Network and Share Perspectives

The event kicks off early Monday, February 15^th with a unique and exclusive visit to the Banco de Portugalâ€™s Cash Handling facilities and Printing Works in the town of Carregado. Witness first hand one of the most prestigious Central Bank facilities in Europe which houses both. Transportation will be provided at no cost and due to limited spaces, CR recommends registering as soon as possible.

Also on Monday, February 15^th, a special closed-door Central Bank Summit has been organized in the afternoon for delegates from Central Banks. In a relaxed atmosphere, conducive to the sharing of ideas and perspectives, some of the following questions will be considered: How does the Central Bank calculate and manage the public demand for cash?; What currency circulation model is in place and is it the optimum? What other experiences are there?; Is your Business Continuity Planning robust? Has it been tested lately?; and What effects does the lack of circulation of coins have on issuance and planning? Banco de Portugal and CR will lead and moderate a round-table discussion on these and other topics of interest.

The Delegate Dinner has been organized on the Wednesday evening at a special off-site location that will provide yet another networking opportunity to enjoy the company of peers and allow the attendees to meet new people in a more relaxed and entertaining atmosphere.

Finally, delegates are warmly welcomed to interact at the Post-Seminar Symposium on Banknote Production – Where the Cash Cycle Begins on Thursday, February 18^th. This Symposium consists of a half-day series of focused presentations on banknote design, printing, and issuance and is free to attend for all registered delegates. In response to popular demand, CR has again organized this free Symposium as a forum for delegates to openly discuss and debate how banknote production factors impact the cash cycle. Presenters include Advanced Track & Trace, Crane Currency, Giesecke & Devrient, the University of Lausanne, the Portuguese Judicial Police, and the Royal Mint.

Learn and Network with Industry Peers!

Make plans to join CR for this exceptional opportunity to discuss pan-European and regional issues and learn about the latest trends and solutions from key industry leaders from across the world.

To register or for more information about the event, please visit the Europe Cash Cycle Seminar website or email Ms. Nena Vukicevic, Managing Director Europe & Africa.

You can also view the Europe Cash Cycle Seminar (ICCOS) 2016 Brochure for an at-a-glance look at the event details!